Game equipment.



0. B. STEAGY.

GAME EQUIPMENT. APPLICATION FILED 213.1, 1909.

Patented Jam 25, 1910.

M gma fiMfi W y NIIED STATES PATENT orrrcn.

CHARLEQ B. STEAOY, OF ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY.

' "eaten 'neurrmnnr.

Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented ran. ea, rare.

Application filed February 1, 1909. jer'lal No. M5330.

1b all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHAnLns 1B. STEACY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atlantic City, in the county of Atlantic and State of [New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful. lm rovements in Game Equi ments, of. whic the following is a speci cation. p f

This invention relates to game apparatus generally, and. particularly to checker and chess equipment including the construction of the boards. and of the so-called men.

Une of the objects of the invention is the provision of a novel form of checker or chess equipment lncludmg a boardwhlch receives and carries the men when the latter are not in use, and which when folded is compact and is of such a size and weight that it can be conveniently carried in the pocket.

A further object 'is the provision of a board and of men which engage or fit into the board in a manner such that the positions of the men will not be disturbed in case the board is jarred or moved, the parts havthe men have on one side shanks adapted tofit in any of the sockets of the board, and on the opposite side sockets preferably of the same size as those in the board, so that the checkers can be vdefinitely located or positioned on the board and will not be shaken or moved out of place during play, and so that aking can be formed as in the customarv manner by placing one man upon the otherwith the shank of the upper man extending into the socket .of the lower man- Still further objects will appear from the following detail description.

' 'llhe inventionmay be'br efly summarizedas consisting in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrange"- ments of parts which will be described in the s ecification and set forth in the appended caima' w ln thefigures of the accompanying sheet of drawings, Fi e 1 is a perspective view of the board with the twosectlon's thereof folded and heldor'secured together. Fig. 2

is a face or plan view of a checker equipment including the board and the men that are used in connection therewith, one set of men being in the position which they normally occupy when not in use, and part of the other set being in playing position on the board. Fig. 3 is a view of a modification of the invention, an equipment being shown which can be employed for either chess or checkers. Fig. l is a transverse section taken through the board shown in Fig. 2, substantially along the line M. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the checker men, and showing by dotted lines the manner in which one mancan be placed upon another-to form a king. Fig. 6 1s a side view of one of the men which may be employed on the chess or combined checkersand chess board.

Fig. 2 wherein there is illustrated a checker board 10 consisting of two sections 10 and 10 hinged together by any suitable means such as by one or more thin strips of muslin 11 glued or pasted to the faces of the adjacent portions of the two sections. The board may be made of any suitable material but thin Wooden plates are preferably employed for the sake of lightness, and, although some of the features of my invention are of considerable value when employed in boards of ordinary size, the dimensions of the board are preferabl made such that when the sections are fol ed together,-or when the board is closed it can be conveniently carried in the ocket. Upon the inner face of the boar and centrall thereof is the playing space or square w ich is divided into the usual number of square spaces of two conin this case, is black, bein designated 12 and being alternated with t e spaces of the" other color which are designated 13. As is clearly shown in Fig. 2 the alternate squares or spaces and in thls case the black squares ice are provided with centrally located sockets 14: which are preferably cylindrical in shape and extend entirely through the wooden por- --tions ofthe board for convenience of manufacture. As will appear presently, these sockets are adapted to receive" the shanks of,

the men so as todefinitely position the latter with respect to the proper squares and to prevent the men'from being-accidentally shifted or moved about 'on the board. Located along opposite sides ofthe board are two groups of sockets and 16 the sockets of one group being at the end of one section or'half of the board adjacent the double corner and the other group being at the opposite end of the other section adjacent the double corner of that section. The sockets of each of these groups are preferably arranged closely together in two or more rows, and their purpose is to receive themen when not in use. Ashere shown there are fourteen sockets in each group so that spaces are provided for two extra men of each set or color, the sockets being here arranged in two rows. It is to be here noted that these sockets 15 and 16 are located at the right of the opposing or facing players in convenient position for the players to re-.

move the men from these sockets and to place them in the sockets of the squares or in (position for playing. At the other two en s of the two' sections or halves of the board respectively are two rectangular reor in the sockets 22 of any of the other men;

cesses 17 and 18 each having a depth equal to the thickness of the wood or other material of which the board is formed, and each being so located that it will register with or overlie the sockets 15 or 16 of the opposite half or section when the board is closed. Pasted over the back of the board is a sheet 19 of some'material preferably paper which is preferably the same size as the board and covers all the sockets and rectangular 0 enings or recesses so as to conceal them rom View when the board is closed and forms a bottom for the same when the board is open.

The checker men 20,.which may be formed of any desired material such as wood, are each referably of the shape shown in Fig. 5, and each consists of a cylindrical head or body portion 21 having at the top a cylindrical socket 22 of the same diameter as the sockets in the board, and having on the opposite side from the socket 22, a cylindrical shank 23 of such a diameter and length that it .will fit nicely in the sockets of the board The total length of the men measured from the upper face of the head or body portion 1 to the end of the shank will preferably be no greater than twice the thickness of the board or twice the length of the sockets in the board in order that the board may be .compactly closed in the manner to be described presently. There will of course be two sets of men, one set being of a color radically different from the color of the other set. 1

When the checkers are not in use, those of one set or color will be placed in one oup of sockets 15, that is with the shanks 1n the sockets and with the body portions of the men above the board. These men will then be arranged in a group along one side of the board and at the end of one section or half of the board, directly opposite or in line with the rectan lar recess 18 at the corresponding end 0 the other section or half of the board. The other oup of men will be arranged with their s anks extending into the sockets 16 which are located along the opposite side of the board and directly opposite or in line with the rectangular recess 17 at the end of the other section or half of the board and at the corresponding side of the board. When the men are in this position the board can be closed with the inner faces of the two halves or sections thereof in engagement with each other for the reason that the body portions of the men or ortions extending above the face of the boardwill be received 1n these rectangular recesses 17 and 18, each of which will be of such a size that it will accommodate the men of one grou when arranged in the sockets. Any suita le means may be provided for looking or securing the two halves or sections of the board together or for holding the board in its closed. position so as to retain the men in place, and I have here shown for this purpose a metal clasp 10' which is pivoted to one of the sections and has side portions which embrace the two sections so as to hold them together.

When it is desired to put the men in play the board will be opened and will be turned so that one group of men will be at the right of one of the players and the other grou will be at the right of the other plan er, and they can then be removed from these sockets 15 and 16 and placed in the sockets it of the proper squares of the playing field or space, 100 it being apparent that the arrangement of the two groups of men when not. in use or rather their positions with respect to the players are such that they can be placed in the sockets 14 of the squares very conven- 105 iently. During the play to make a move, the man will be grasped by the fingers as in the ordinary manner and will be moved to some other square and placed in the corresponding socket, and when the kin row has 110 been reached a king will be forme by placing one man upon the other with the shank of the former in the socket of the latter. When a man has been jumped it can be removed from the board and dropped into one 115 of the rectangular recesses 17 and 18 which will then be a convenient repository for the men as they are put out of play until it is again desired to rearrange them in the sockets 14. It will be seen, therefore, that al- 120 though I have provided a checker equipment, the main desideratum of which is compactness with the view of providing an equipment which can be easily carried about in the pocket, and although I- have provided 12 very closely those ordmarily employed and men as they are put out of play. Although inserted in the sockets at the sides of the This board 24: is provided withtwo hinged tures between this board'and the board sockets 28 and 29 having the same relative tangular recesses 17 and 18 have dual funcreason that the portions of the men project- 'squares instead of in the alternate squares will preferably be slightly larger than those recesses 17 and 18 with respect to the sockets sary' in shifting the men about and the man-' her in which the kings are formed follow to which the players have become accustomed. It is to be noted also that these rectionsg'namel they permit the board to be folded or clbsed compactly although the board carries the men which do not add to the size or thickness of the board, 'for the ing above the face oft-he board are accommodated by these rectangular recesses, and still further the rectangular recesses form temporary receptacles or repositories for the the men put 'out ofplay may if desired be board, they are preferably placed in the recesses 17 and 18 for the reason that the placing of the men in these sockets, requires a little more time and mental efi'ort than 18 required to merely drop them in the recesses.

In Fig. 3 I have shown an equlpment which may be employed for either checkers or chess and which contains most of the novel features of the board shown in Fig. 2.

sections 24* and 24* as in the prior case and the board is provided on its inner face with the usual squares 25 and 26 of contrasted colors. One of the main distinguishing feashown in Fig. 2, is that the chess and checker board 24 has a socket 27 in each of the only, as shown in Fig. 2. Each socket 27 shown in Fig. 2 for a purpose to be explained presently. This board is also provided on opposite sides with two groups of location as the groups of sockets 15-and 16 of the board shown in Fig. 2 and these sockets 28 and 29 serve the same purpose as the sockets 15 and 16; namely, to receive the two sets of men when not in use. The sockets 28 and 29 will be of the same size as the sockets 27, in the difi'erentsquares of the playing space of the board, and the number of sockets in each group will be suficient to accommodate at least sixteen men. The board is also provided with two rectangular, recesses 30 and 31 having the same relative arrangement. with respect to the groups'of sockets 2.8 and 29 as have the rectangular.

15 and 16.

The men 32, one of which is shown in Fig. 6, difl er in shape from the men first described. In this instance the men 32 each preferably consists of a cylindrical disk or button of a size such that it' may be readily inserted in any of the: sockets 27 28 or 29, and having a length no greater than twice I that the same men may be used for checkers.

en the game of checkers is played with this equipment, the men will be placed in the proper sockets of the squares wlth the plain faces up and when the king row has been reached, the man will be inverted so as to distinguish the kin from an ordinary man. This equipment wil be used in practically the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 2 and the board will have practically the same dimensions and when closed will be just as compact as the checker board shown in Fig. 2.

, It is to be noted that either the checker board or combined chess and checker board can be used under circumstances which would not be favorable for the-use of an ordinary checker equipment, since either equipment constructed in accordance with my invention can be easily held in the lap or used conveniently in a moving train or under any other condition wherein stability is lacking;

I do not desire to be confined to the exact details shown but aim in my claims to cover all modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention.

at I claim as newand desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a game equipment, a board consisting of two sections having a-playing space over which men are adapted to be moved, one of the sections having a plurality of sockets adapted to receive men when not in use, and t e other section being recessed opposite said sockets so as to receive the portions of the men which project outwardly from said sockets and to per-- mit the two sections to be placed one upon the other-when the board is not in use.

2. In a game equipment, a board consisting of two hinged sections having a laying space over which men are adapted to be moved, one of the sections having a plural- 1 ity of sockets adapted to receive portions of the men when not in use, and the other section being recessed opposite said sockets so as toreceive or accommodate the portions of the men which project outwardly from said .sockets and to permit the two sections of the board to be folded together with their faces in engagement.

ltltl ortions of the &

3. In a game equipment, a board consist- 111 r of two hinged sections having a laying field divided into spaces ofcontrast colors upon which groups of men are adapted to be moved, each section having outside of the playing field a plurality of sockets adapted to receive portions of one of the groups of men when the latter are not in use, and each of said sections being recessed opposite the group of sockets of the other section so as to receive the portions of the men which project outwardly from said sockets of the other section and to permit the two sections to be folded together with their faces in engage-' ment. 4. In a game equipment, a board consistin of two hinged sections having a laying fie d divided into spaces of contraste colors,-

certain of said spaces having sockets adapted to receive portions of men which are moved over sald board, and each section having a on of sockets outside of the playing fie d a apted to receive portions of the men when not in use and having also a recess located opposite the group of sockets of the other section whereb the portions of the men projecting outwar 1y from the two groups of sockets are received in said recesses and the board may be compactly folded together with the faces of the two sections in engagement. 1

In testimon whereof I afiix my signature in presence 0 two witnesses.

G. O. FAR UHAnsoN, A. .KWIS; 

